The Unbreakable Boy (2025) Lionsgate/Drama RT: 109 minutes Rated PG (strong thematic material, alcohol abuse, language, some violence) Director: Jon Gunn Screenplay: Jon Gunn Music: Pancho Burgos-Goizueta Cinematography: Kristopher Kimlin Release date: February 21, 2025 (US) Cast: Zachary Levi, Meghann Fahy, Jacob Laval, Drew Powell, Gavin Warren, Amy Acker, Peter Facinelli, Patricia Heaton, Todd Terry, Pilot Bunch.
Rating: ***
The inspirational drama The Unbreakable Boy was supposed to come out three years ago, but Lionsgate pulled it off the schedule without explanation eight days before its release. I kept wondering when it hit theaters. It finally has and I’m pleased to report it’s a good movie.
Written and directed by Jon Gunn (Ordinary Angels), The Unbreakable Boy is based on a true story about a boy named Austin (Laval, The Plot Against America), Auz Man to everybody he meets. Austin suffers from a disease called osteogenesis imperfecta aka brittle bone disease. It means his bones break easily. He also has autism. He talks non-stop and takes joy in practically everything. He lives and loves life to the fullest. It’s he who narrates his story which starts with his parents’ brief courtship and goes from there.
Scott LeRette (Levi, Shazam 1 & 2) first meets Teresa (Fahy, The White Lotus) at the clothing store where she works. He’s immediately smitten by her blue eyes and awkwardly asks her out. Before they hit date number four, she calls to tell him she’s pregnant. Soon after they move in together, she drops another bombshell. Her blue eyes aren’t exactly a blessing. They’re actually symptomatic of OI which is a genetic disorder. Sadly, Austin inherits it. The boy keeps a count of how many bone breaks he’s had in his 13 years. It’s a lot.
It isn’t until after their second son Logan is born that Scott and Theresa start to realize something else isn’t quite right with Austin. He displays the classic signs of autism- e.g. obsessively counting his toy planes, emotional outbursts and getting lost in his own world. But Austin is one of those kids who’s always positive about everything. It doesn’t seem to bother him that he’s different. In fact, he embraces it.
Austin’s issues weigh heavily on his parents, Scott in particular. He takes up drinking. He drinks a lot, too much. He loses his job as a medical equipment salesman. The family loses their home. Eventually, his drinking puts the lives of his kids at risk. Fed up, Theresa sends him packing. He has a lot of self-work and self-healing to do if he wants to get his life back.
I suppose the second thing you want to know about The Unbreakable Boy is how religious it is. While it does contain religious material (e.g. a humorous trip to church, AA meetings), it doesn’t get all preachy nor does it shame non-Christians. It’s just a nice movie with a positive message about overcoming adversity and loving life no matter what it throws at you. Additionally, Gunn manages a mostly even balance of serious and funny. It never gets too heavy-handed or too silly.
Here’s some more good news about The Unbreakable Boy. It’s never condescending towards its main character. It doesn’t portray Auz Man solely as a figure whose only function is to inspire everyone around him even though he definitely does that. He’s a kid with challenges trying to navigate a world that isn’t always accepting of those who are different. In the role, Laval does a phenomenal job. Some might think he overplays it, but that’s not the case here. Austin is a kid with a big personality; it only makes sense for Laval to play it big.
Levi is one of those actors I can’t take seriously. He plays a lot of goofy characters like the adult version of the title character in last year’s misguided Harold and the Purple Crayon. He’s actually pretty good in The Unbreakable Boy. Scott is a selfish, irresponsible type incapable of taking accountability for his many mistakes. He prioritizes playing golf at his country club over paying his son’s medical expenses. He often holds conversations with his best friend Joe (Powell, Gotham) who’s actually imaginary. It’s not Oscar-level stuff, but it’s a big step up from Shazam. Take the win, Zach.
Fahy is also quite good as the mother who always has to be the adult in the room. She has a family history of alcoholism and doesn’t want to go through it with her husband. She has to get tough for her children’s sake. Gavin Warren (Night Swim) doesn’t fine work as the younger sibling who has to play big brother/protector to Austin. He loves his brother, but you can see it weighs on him. He’s a kind soul who befriends the bully that’s been picking on him and mocking Austin. It’s one of the sweetest scenes in the film.
Granted, The Unbreakable Boy is cliched and predictable from start to finish. That’s okay. We don’t always need surprises or tricky plot twists. Sometimes it’s nice to watch a movie where you know the score going in. It’s a film that proudly wears its heart on its sleeve. You’ll laugh, shed a tear or two and leave the theater feeling uplifted and elevated. Is that really such a bad thing?